Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 30, 2009) – Freshman forward Jonathan Kohler (Bordentown, N.J.) scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed nine boards as he led the C.W. Post men's basketball team to a 79-58 win over Daemen College in the second game of the C.W. Post Holiday Invitational on Wednesday evening at the Pratt Recreation Center.

The Pioneers improve to 5-4 overall, while Daemen slips to 7-5.

The hosts went on a 14-2 run to begin the game, and at 10:37 in the half, they led 22-11. Double-digit scoring in the first half from Aaron Hall (Syracuse, N.Y.) with 14 points and Kohler with 13 helped propel the Pioneers to a 12 point lead with 4:55 remaining before halftime, but Daemen finally came to life and went on an 11-2 run to close out the half trailing C.W. Post by just three points, 33-30.

The second half began as a tight contest, as junior guard Gil Montalvo (Astoria, N.Y.) hit a three to give the hosts a six point lead, 36-30, at 19:09, but Daemen quickly pulled to within two, 38-36, at 17:31. Kohler sank back-to-back layups to push the CWP lead back to six, but Mike Maisto's trey cut the lead back to three. 

The teams traded buckets, over the next two minutes, and the Pioneer pulled ahead by seven points on Kohler's three-point basket at 13:44, leading 47-40. The visitors cut the lead to five points on two free throws from Ajay Rutledge, but a jumper by senior guard Roberto Macklin (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) and a lay-up by Montalvo gave the Pioneers a nine-point lead, 51-42, with 11:31 to play in the half.  

The lead stretched to 11 points before Daemen was able to pull within seven on a free throw from MJ Oridami at 9:06, but that would be as close as Daemen would get as C.W. Post reeled off a 14-0 blitz over the next four minutes, pushing its lead to 69-48 on a layup by senior Nemanja Jokic (Sombor, Serbia), and the Pioneers coasted to the double-digit win

Kohler's game-high 31 point effort came on 11-15 shooting (8-of-14 from the line), and the freshman contributed four assists and a steal to fill out the stat sheet. Notching his first double-double of the season was Hall, who scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. Montalvo also reached double figures for C.W. Post with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting including two three-pointers, and narrowly missed a double-double of his own, dishing off nine assists. 

C.W. Post shot 55% (30-of-54) from the floor and 5-of-14 from behind the arc. The hosts finished 14-for-22 (63%) from the charity stripe, and outscored Daemen in the paint by a 38-30 margin. The Pioneers also scored 23 points off 20 Daemen turnovers.

The Wildcats were led by Rutledge and Devon Dawson, who notched 11 points apiece, respectively. 

Daemen and Evangel University meet tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 31, in a 1 p.m. matchup and game three of the Holiday Invitational. The tournament will close out on Saturday, January 2, as the Pioneers take on Evangel at 3 p.m.